9 yoga Poses for runners

The riders sometimes struggle to see the value other than run for exercise nothing. But if you’re a weekend warrior who pushes your body through long runs and the training of the race, the yoga should be an essential part of your weekly routine. And this does not necessarily mean the stretching to a yoga studio – just adopting a few poses simple in the context of your ritual pre-race regularly can improve the flexibility and strength in the time, and help prevent injuries. More precisely, says Gwen Lawrence, a therapist yoga registered in New York, the yoga regularly can reduce the risk of running injuries common, such as plantar fascia and Achilles tendinitis, to allow for more effective delivery with less effort, increasing flexibility in the hamstrings, the quadriceps and the calves , and hips flexible, open to reduce strain and knee injury. Here are nine yoga poses all runners should try.

Pigeon Pose

Pigeon Pose is a hip-opening poses classic many runners use to stretch the hip, back and knees to improve flexibility and prevent injuries. “As a rider on a daily basis with a daily practice of yoga, I start every race and every practice of the yoga Pigeon pose”, says Susie Lopez, an instructor at Ashtanga Yoga New York.

Try it: get Down on your mat on your hands and knees. A position on all fours, twist your left calf so that your left foot rests under your right groin and lower your body down as you straighten your right leg behind you. You can sit back and rest on your palms, or lie all the way down for a stretch deeper. Hold the pose while you take five breaths. Repeat with your right leg bent with the right foot by supporting your left groin. Lower to a comfortable level, and breathe five more times.

Dog down

If leg cramps are a problem, then dog down is the installation of stretch, which will help to improve your flexibility. “This is a yoga pose that is ideal for riders who may naturally tight, the muscles of the legs are painful and often tense their back and neck as well,” says Lopez.

Try it: Start on your hands and knees with your knees directly under your hips and your hands slightly forward of your shoulders. Engage your core, press your knees away from the floor while keeping your arms outstretched and lifting up to your tailbone. Stretch your heels to the floor for a stretch deeper. Keep your spine long and straight.

As the muscles of your legs will open up and become more flexible, your legs will straighten and your heels will go down. Concentrate first on your spine straight and breathing deep. Drop your head and look at your belly. Take five deep breaths in the pose. For a variation with the dog down, rotate bend the knees, as if you’re a dog that is running.

Psoas stretch

A psoas muscle tight, which runs along your abdomen inner, is one of the main causes of the evils of back, which is a common problem for runners. This variation Dog down relieves the tension in your back and hips.

Try: the position Of dog down, bend the right knee and lower it to the mat. Bend your left knee at ninety degrees and gently place your hands on your left thigh. Rest at the top of your right foot on the mat, lift your chest and head, breathing deeply. Push your hips forward a little more than you feel the opening of your psoas up. Repeat on the other side.

Posture of the tree

Placement of the tree is a movement complete for the riders, because it focuses on balance, strength and flexibility together. “The Posture of the tree is a great way to connect with the balls of your feet, strengthen your core and increase your balance,” said Lopez.

Try it: Stand straight, inhale your belly back towards your spine, lift your chest and chin, and focus on a fixed object a few feet in front of you. Press your right foot into the floor as you lift your left leg and place your left foot above or below your right knee. Extend your arms, which extends above your head with your fingers spread like branches. Lower your hands to your chest. Take three deep breaths. For a difficult to change, try to press and get up on the balls of your feet and stay in position for two breaths. Then, lower and repeat with right leg.

Triangle Pose

To stretch your sides and strengthen your legs, try Triangle Pose.

Try it: Stand straight and extend your right leg to the side a little more than the width of the hips. Turn your right foot perpendicular to your left as you inhale and extend your right arm directly above your right foot. Exhaling, gently lower your hand to rest on your calf or ankle, or take your big toe, which is more comfortable for you. Feel the stretch in your left hand as you raise your left hand just above your body. If you feel steady, turn the head to look at your left hand in the air. Take five deep breaths and, with a deep inhalation, press your right hand and you push back to standing position. Repeat on the other side, reversing the directions.

Low Side Lunge

If you are plagued by side cramps when you run, this pose should help mitigate them, as well as help to open your hips before or after the execution.

Try: From standing position, separate your feet in a wide position with your toes pointing forward. Place your hands above your right knee, and while exhaling, bend your right knee, keeping your right leg to the left. Keep your chest lifted and open, and hold pose for five breaths. Repeat on the other side.

Hero Pose

Lopez said this stretching exercise can be a little weird at first, but with a little practice, most runners have found that this is one of their yoga poses favorite.

Try it: Sit on your ankles with legs folded under you, hands on your knees. Now, place your hands on the ground to support your weight and open your feet slightly to the sides so that your lower pond is directly on the carpet. Your legs should be parallel to each side of your body with your knees together and the tops of your feet flat on the mat. Engage your soul, lift through your spine, and take five breaths. If it feels awkward or uncomfortable, place a yoga block, a towel or a book under your pelvis to give you a bit of support. If you feel comfortable, stay in Hero Pose and give your neck a stretch healthy into the back of your neck with the fingers interlaced and exhaling your head forward to release your neck and spine. Inhale as you lift your head.

Curl up before

Lawrence said that, sometimes, the stretching exercises simple can be the best yoga poses for runners. As evidence, she presents this simple yoga pose which can be done either free or against a wall for better support.

Try: From standing position, hinge at the hips, fold forward, and hang on to your elbows, or, for a stretch more intense, the ankles. With the breathing fluid, flowing a little further on each exhale, letting the crown of your head move towards the floor and relaxing your head and neck as much as possible. Take ten deep breaths. You will get results more quickly when you do this regularly and hold the pose for 3 to 5 minutes, ” says Laurent.

Lateral bending

Stretch latissimus dorsi tight or your back muscles with this simple pose, Beth Shaw, the founder of training systems,

Try it: Standing up straight, bring both arms overhead, palms together. Inhale, and get out of the bottom of the back until the spine is elongated. Exhale, and reach your arms to the right, and overhead until you feel a stretch deep on the left side of the body. Keep the glutes tight and the lower body moving forward as the upper body continues to lift and sink with each inhale and exhale. Take five deep breaths, then switch sides.